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Fitness watch gets you back to starting point

Not sure which route to take back home? Try wearing the M400, a GPS fitness watch from Polar. Equipped with its own GPS system, the M400 can show you the shortest route back to your starting point. The water-re

Not sure which route to take back home? Try wearing the M400, a GPS fitness watch from Polar. Equipped with its own GPS system, the M400 can show you the shortest route back to your starting point. The water-resistant watch can also track the distance, pace and altitude of your workout. Plus, it tracks and records your activity levels, not to mention calories burned, as you go about your daily routines. It can even judge whether you had a restful sleep. Designed to share data with your phone via a wireless Bluetooth connection or with a computer through a USB connection, the M400 lets you monitor your progress on the go and at home when you have more time to analyze the info. The M400 costs about $180. A version with a heart rate sensor is $230. www.polar.com

Phone controls light

“Mood lighting” used to involve buying a colored bulb, say, to give your room a mysterious green or red tint. The concept almost has a groovy 1960s vibe. You can bring this approach to ambiance into the digital age with the SMFX Smart Bulb. With the help of the included app, your phone functions as a remote control that can turn the bulb on, adjust its brightness, switch colors, and create special effects such as strobe lighting and dimming. The bulb can also be set to turn on or off at preset times. Designed to last about 40,000 hours, the energy-efficient bulb is comparable to a 60-watt bulb with 550 lumens. It costs about $60. www.smfx.co

(Photo: Fluance)

Speaker aims for natural vibe

Your iPhone does a pretty good job playing tunes, but sometimes you just want to pump up the volume and do so in style. That’s where the Fi50 Two-Way High Performance Wireless Bluetooth Wood Speaker from Fluance can come in handy. Designed with a wood cabinet, the solid-looking Bluetooth speaker produces a natural, rich sound via dual five-inch drivers, a 40-watt amplifier and two bass ports. Priced at about $200, the speaker includes touch-panel controls, an adjustable base and treble equalizer, a USB charging port, and an audio jack. www.fluance.com

The Power2U dual USB wall outlet has traditional and USB ports, allowing you to charge four devices at once. It costs about $25.(Photo: NewerTech)

Outlets make room for USBs

Tired of fighting for a spot to plug in your phone? Instead of relying on a wall outlet with sockets for two electrical items, try using a wall outlet that also has two USB ports. The Power2U dual USB wall outlet, for example, has two traditional 15-amp power outlets and two USB ports, allowing you to charge four devices at once. Available in white, black, almond and ivory, the Power 2U from NewerTech costs about $25. www.newertech.com